Shameless Protocol - Now An App For Individuals Struggling With Addiction

01/08/2018 12:01 pm ET

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Shameless Protocol serves as a platform for people still struggling with addiction to connect anonymously.

The App

The app called “Shameless Protocol” serves as a platform for people still struggling with addiction to connect anonymously. Shameless protocol is very similar to facebook aside from the fact that it doesn't require significant information like name and location of users, this way it protects the anonymity of members.

It also promotes the enlightenment of people on drug education by supporting the submission of blog and video content for review. Accepted content is posted after subsequent review, although this app is currently a web app it will be available for all devices on the 1st of February, 2018.

The Founder

The founder of the “Shameless Protocol” is Philip Markoff. A rapper, digital marketing specialist and a recoverer of methamphetamine and cocaine addiction, who decided to publicise his recovery process by creating his own YouTube channel. He has been sober since the 9th of June, 2013 and has since helped in furthering drug education by showing the exact process of healing and becoming sober as opposed to over demonizing or glamorizing substances.

This bold step was taken in a bid to reach out to others battling addiction, urging and encouraging them not to deter in their efforts by showing the good, bad and ugly experiences involved in taking different substances as he has tried them all. His channel provides sobriety to addicts all around the world because they can relate to it plus, seeing a man who was once an addict excel in every aspect of his life is nothing short of inspirational. He has his number on his videos and currently receives over a hundred messages every day from well-wishers, fans and just people who consider him a beacon of light and love.

The Shameless App serves as a platform for people still struggling with addiction to connect anonymously.

He strongly believes the current approach to fighting heroin addiction will remain ineffective because according to him he fought to be sober. His mum couldn't make him sober, the government making heroin inaccessible will only increase the street value and ultimately lead to burglary of habitats to obtain the substance.

The government making heroin inaccessible leads to the making of cheaper and more dangerous analogues of Heroin like; Krokodil (desomorphine), which is available in Russia and Switzerland. Bath salts like Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and K2 available in the United States.

What Then Is The Answer To The Heroin Epidemic?

Philip Markoff maintains that the answer to this question is having addicts who are sober and, have shared in the struggle speak up to inspire sobriety in those battling addiction. He believes the heroin epidemic can be eradicated through the following ways;

Apart from having more addicts that are sober speak up, there should also be a reform in the educational system that enlightens kids on drug education. Public schools currently demonize drugs without neuroscience to back up their claim; this led to uncertainty at a younger age forcing him to trust his friends.

Also, unlike sex education that teaches safe practices alongside abstinence, there are no safe practices taught while educating kids about drugs. He had an overdose incident that almost killed him as a result of mixing Xanax and alcohol, an incident that could've easily been avoided if he was taught that mixing downers and downers is a very lethal combination.

Philip Markoff’s approach to becoming sober was action based; he realized after a while of behavioral therapy that telling himself that he needed to change wasn't enough, especially since he suffered from a brain disease. He started by being honest, doing service work and making amends when he was wrong, these changes became long-term and ultimately turned into habits.

Philip Markoff, developer of the Shameless app.

These habits turned into a lifestyle and ultimately began to change his line of thinking. He began to learn that the long-term benefits of esteemable actions are more valuable than the short-term gratification of drug use. As a result, he began to see using drugs as a bad idea.

Right now, hospitals, counsellors, and universities study his channel and testify to it helping their understanding of drug use and how to help treat patients with addiction. His app “Shameless Protocol” has also helped in the improving the pace of recovery as it provides a community for sober individuals who were addicts to share their experiences and help with the healing process.